Help rai

Dear Editor:

My name is David Witson and |
ant the same person who had his pic-
ture in the Now 12 edition of the
North Shore News. | am trying to
raise funds for the Canadian Mental
Health Association here on the
North Shore.

I would like to explain in further
detail why Tam trying to raise funds.
i came about this idea of staying in
the freezing water during the
Penguin Phinge as a method of
bringing awareness to those people
who suffer from various forms: of
mental illness. Not everyone who has
mental handicaps is without work.

—MAIL Box-

ing funds f

However, the people that 1am inter-
ested in helping do have barriers thar
prevent them from working in suci-
ety. Tt is my wish to raise enough
money to purchase new computers
and software to train: many of the
mentally handicapped. ft is my
dream to see individuals who are cur-
rently unemployable tind jobs and
become self-sufficient in society.
Our present provincial govern-
ment doesn’t seem to care for the
well being of those individuals who

suffer from one or another form of

mental handicap. The government
doesn’t scent to have funds set aside
to train mentally handicapped peo-

ple. Canora Chub, a club chat offers
many services to the mentally handi-
capped, is finded by many organiza-
tions. The funding the club receives
is just enough to pay for the health-
care Workers” salaries, the administra:
tive salaries, and the upkeep of the
club. However, the computers: that
we use are outdated and all of the
softveare is obsolete.

As in all organizations, computers
are a necessity. We all know how ditt
ficult it is for someone untrained to
obtain a job. Just imagine how ditfi-
cult it is for a handicapped individual
ta find work without the proper
training, This is why | am hoping

that individuals and companies will
sponsor me on Jan. 1, 2008. T realize
that at this time of the year, many
organizations are canvassing for
donations also.

Mental illness is something that
can strike anyone at any time, No
one is immune to this illness. There
are no drags that you can take to
prevent getting sick with mental ill-
ness. Many people suffer from stress,
nervous breakdowns, and depression
in their lives, and many others devel-
op more severe forms of illness, The
disease is not contagious but already
exists within your DNA. You can be
at the top of the ladder in your field,

Jon’t raise taxes te pay for detox

Dear Editor:

world seems to have discov. idea,

bue find the money

To am writing you in
response to an article I read in
the North Shore News, the
Friday Dec. 8 issue entitled
“MacKay-Dunn_ backs plan
for detox centre.”

First of all [ think most
North Vancouver residents
can appreciate the problems
that drugs and alcohol bring
into our community. But tell
me why every time we need to
address a problem it involves
more taxes? :

. Asa fourth year political
studies student I think I
understand politics. It is the
process involved in the alloca-
tion of resources in a society.
It is not always about ever-
increasing levels of resources
— itis about choices that
need to be made.

“Surely North Vancouver

_ District.can find alternatives in

the budget that could and
probably should be cut betore
raising our taxes. Waiting for
the federal goverament to
come up with the money is, in
my opinion, seeret political
code words tor— “hey, when
the ‘feds’ say NO, you nice
folks are going to pay for it
anyway.”

When Coun. Janice Harris
says thar this should be our
number one priority J] think
she is dead wrong. More gov-
ernment is clearly not the
answer. So find the finding by
cutting something else if it is
that important.

There are bigger problems
that need to be addressed in
this community. I find it hard
to believe that the two latest
battles the district council is
prepared to wage are both in
favour of tax hikes!

While the rest of the free

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Your Custom Framing Specialists
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ered that people don’t want te
pay higher taxes the municipal
governments of North
Vancouver seems to ignore
this.

The iype of representation
this council has given the citi-
zens is disgraceful. A detox
centre sounds like a great

somewhere else — not in
Ortawa because that too
comes from our pockets not
off some “money tree.” Cut
other spending.

Jackson Murphy

North Vancouver
jacksonjoelmurphy@
yahoo.com

Follow rules of road

Dear Editor:

Leona Warner states the McGill Street HOV lane is for buses
and cars with two or more occupants (Rage spills into HOV
lane, Dec. 4). The ICBC leatler, ‘TS280A (High Occupancy
Vehicle Lanes) states that this particular HOV lane is for buses
only, The signage also confirms this.

She could help alleviate evervone’s frustration (and possible

rage) if she stuck by the rules.
Tan Hargreaves
North Vancouver

thargreaves@cochrane-group.ca

HOw

was
your run today?

have a wonderful family and tots of
friends. Ali ofa sudden, vou can be
struck down by mental illness. You
lose your job, your source of income,
standard of living, and ves, many of
your friends, Many of vou know
someone who is mentally handi-
capped. You know the trials thar they
try to conquer each day.

Whac I am trying to do at Canora
Ciub is provide help for people
struck down with mental illness. I
will do what T can to achieve my
goals, but Til need your help to
make it a success.

David Wilson
North Vancouver, 649-0078

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